The legendary Broadway is the main street and landmark of New York Manhattan. The significance of the street is not limited only to Manhattan and even to the whole of America, it is one of the ten longest streets in the world (25 km).
But Broadway does not end on the island, then it passes through the Bronx and the famous Sleepy Hollow. A total of 55 km is the length of the road, which, passing through the entire city, stretches all the way to Albany (the state capital of New York).
Meaning of the word broadway
The structure of the street is unique. It is not a straight line, unlike classical roads, but a curving line across the line, starting in the south of Eastwood from Bowling Green Park and crossing the island diagonally. In the literal sense, translated from English, the word broadway means "wide road". The path was laid by the Indians from south to north of the island before Columbus discovered America itself.
Since then, even the clearly planned architectural development of the most prestigious area of the most beautiful city in the world, New York, has not been able to change the outlines of the street. The traffic on Broadway is one-way, in some places the road bends and has a wavy relief. On both sides of the street are shopping and business centers, entertainment venues, amusement parks and, of course, theaters, in which the famous Broadway musicals are staged.
Musical World Center
For the world of theater and music, Broadway is the axis of cultural coordinates, and not just a place of permanent residence. Musicals staged here enjoy worldwide fame; almost all theaters in America are Broadway. Every evening on Broadway there are more than 30 performances simultaneously. Amazing colorful shows and a huge selection of musicals for every taste, the famous “Phantom of the Opera” and “The Lion King”.
The Metropolitan Opera and the Theater District are also located on the street of the same name, and this section of the street attracts special attention from the cultural population of New York.
Depending on the popularity, the show can go on for several years (“The Phantom of the Opera”) or quickly disappear (“Evita” with Ricky Martin). The most prestigious vernissages are held here, and the exhibitions that didn’t fall into this space are called off-Broadway.
What is Broadway?
This word has a lot of meanings, and almost all of them are associated with New York, Manhattan and America. For each person, this street - Broadway - the definition may have its own:
- The main street of American musicals.
- Great Star Trek.
- Musical Mecca in New York.
- Street entertainment.
- The wide white path.
- Great diagonal of Manhattan.
In Russian jargon, there is a concept that Broadway is a gathering place for offenders. You can talk for hours about Manhattan and its famous street, but it is not for nothing that there is a saying: it’s better to see once than hear a hundred times.
One act can be considered an offense: to be in New York and not to visit Broadway. New York is fully revealed here. By the way, often in Russian cities they call it the main street.
Broadway Attractions
Do not set yourself the main goal - as quickly as possible to go all the way to find out what Broadway is. There is a lot of interesting things here, and you need to move with pleasure, getting to such iconic sights as Times Square - the square on which the head office of the legendary New York Times newspaper is located.
Here is Columbus Square and Central Park. In the world, no city could afford something like Central Park. This is a huge green rectangular territory in the very center of the island, which is pride and luxury unprecedented for a modern metropolis, which New York has thanks to the active position of citizens who opposed the development of the center.
In the jargon understanding, there is a different meaning of the word "Broadway" - "straight from the ace." For example, playing cards, participants say: "Yesterday, Sanka had a broadway three times in a row." In Russian, the word has also taken root as a synonym for the term "promenade".
Broadway is a symbol of the entertainment industry
New York Broadway is included in the list of must-see places for tourists to visit and enjoys great love among native people and guests. The street is especially admired in the dark, when it sparkles in neon light of signboards and highlights, billboards are given a solemn appearance. Most tourists believe that the American spirit of culture can be felt only by visiting the island of Manhattan skyscrapers.
In 1880, Manhattan Broadway became one of America's first streets lit by electricity. Today it is a bright, sparkling 24 hours a day and noisy street that never sleeps. This is a huge number of stores in which all world and little-known brands, restaurants, cafes and much more are represented.
